Going Gluten-FreeMarch 26, 2014

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Siblings Matter

My 5-year-old daughter Pamela does not have food allergies but she has a sibling who does. Her brother Joseph, age 10, is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg, soy, sesame and mustard.

Pamela wants to protect Joseph when he’s exposed to an allergen. She understands why she can’t eat certain foods near him. She is conscientious about following the rules we’ve put in place to keep Joseph safe. She gets sad when he feels anxious or down about his allergies, and she gets scared for her brother when his asthma acts up.

Joseph lives with the knowledge that one bite of food has the potential to end his life. His sister lives with that knowledge, too. Not only do her feelings need to be acknowledged, it’s essential that she be an expert on food allergies, just like he is.

Musician Kyle Dine helps her with all of this. The Canadian singer and songwriter educates and supports kids through his music. He is an invaluable resource for children with food allergies--and their siblings.

When Kyle asked the kids to raise their hands as he called out each of the top 8 allergies, Joseph’s hand went up a lot. Kyle Dine’s hand did, too. (He’s allergic to peanuts, nuts, eggs, seafood and mustard.) The concert was great fun for the kids. It was also a great reminder to Joseph that someone like Kyle, whom Joseph considers a cool guy, can be successful and travel all over the world.

But just as important, Kyle Dine showed Pamela that she’s not alone as a sibling. The concert was packed with happy, singing kids who have food allergies--and their siblings.

With so much family-focus on the child with food allergies, it’s important to remember that siblings have needs, too. This isn’t always easy. What do you do in your family?

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Comments (1)

Thanks for this! My 8-year old is gluten intolerant. She sometimes gets very down about it. My 5-year old is VERY supportive--always asking if things are gluten free and if she can be gluten free, too. She wants to be with her sister physically AND emotionally. I had NO idea there was music out there for food allergies! BOTH of my girls will really like this and I can't wait to share it with them. Thanks again :-)